Police Technology

This program trains individuals to become patrol officers who can work for different police services or security agencies. Patrol officers are the first to intervene at the scene of an event, incident or accident. They must maintain peace, protect lives, prevent crime and apply criminal and penal laws. They must also reassure victims of crime, arrest criminals, issue tickets, gather evidence and inform the public on the best way to protect themselves against crime. Another task they are entrusted with is protecting troubled youth and bringing young offenders before youth court.

Social and community work is a key part of their job. They must reassure people, advise them, inform them, refer them to the proper resources and, on occasion, act as pacifiers or mediators during minor conflict situations. First to arrive at the scene of an event, incident or accident, police patrollers must decide if they wish to intervene alone or call upon the department’s internal and external resources. They choose the intervention approach they deem most acceptable in a given situation: repressive, preventive or community-based.

Once they have joined the ranks of a professional police department, they work in an environment characterized by decentralized decision-making, the exercise of discretionary powers, problem-oriented management, active community participation and policing strategies that use both reactive and proactive approaches.

Regular students in this program complete the first phase of training at the Cégep they are attending. They are selected for the program based on the ranking list created using a performance rating system (cote de rendement) and after successfully completing the language of study test, the physical aptitude test and meeting medical requirements; they will be invited to École nationale de police du Québec to complete the basic Patrol Officer Training Program (15 weeks). The majority of graduates will be ready to apply to the École nationale de police du Québec in under one year. Candidates who have a promise of employment from a police department will be given priority access. In Quebec, only the diploma issued by École nationale de police du Québec vests individuals the right to practise the profession of police officer.

There is an equal access program in place at Collège Ahuntsic, John Abbott College and Collège De Maisonneuve; questionnaires concerning this program are available at any high school as well as at the three Cégeps where the program is offered.

Some of the positions mentioned below do not require graduation from École nationale de police du Québec (ENPQ). *However, graduates of this program can hope to obtain employment as police officers after successfully completing the training provided by the ENPQ. Graduates from the ENPQ enjoy significantly better salary conditions.

Before applying to a program leading to a Diploma of College Studies (DCS), applicants who studied in Québec must meet the following three requirements:

The applicant must have a Secondary School Diploma and be in one of the following situations:
The applicant has a Secondary School Diploma (SSD)*
NOTE: a SSD holder that has not passed the following courses may be required to complete remedial courses:
Secondary 5 Language of Instruction
Secondary 5 Second Language
Secondary 4 Mathematics
Secondary 4 Science and Technology or Secondary 4 Applied Science and Technology or Secondary 4 Physical Science
Secondary 4 History and Citizenship Education or Secondary 4 History of Quebec and Canada
The applicant holds a Diploma of Vocational Studies (DVS) and has successfully completed the following subjects*:
Secondary 5 Language of Instruction
Secondary 5 Second Language
Secondary 4 Mathematics
The applicant has training deemed equivalent by the College.
The applicant has training and experience deemed sufficient by the College and has interrupted full time studies for at least 24 months.
The applicant satisfies, if applicable, the special conditions for admission established by the Minister which specify the program prerequisites*.
The applicant satisfies, if applicable, any special conditions for admission established by the College for each of its programs.


*If the applicant is enrolled in school and completing his or her secondary studies at the time of application, the grades sent by the school must demonstrate that the applicant is passing in all the courses required to complete the SSD and required to fulfill the admission requirements.